Watchful Eyes
by CharmedSecondsSnippets
Summary: Nothing was going to happen to him this time. They already lost him once. It wasn't going to happen again.


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**Watchful Eyes**

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Perhaps it was because they lost him once before.

For Leo, he felt his youngest son's breath leave once and he vowed, as the small, defenseless infant was placed in his arms, that he would never experience it again. The baby, ignorant of what has happened or of what his alternate future self did for the sake of his family, merely stared back at Leo with wide baby blue eyes before wailing for another feeding.

Piper, while she wasn't there for Chris's death, wept when she was told. She longed to see her son return home in the future, and to thank home for everything he did. For her son to be robbed of that small satisfaction, the tiny grace of seeing his sacrifices had paid off, crushed her. As she held on to the infant, she allowed the tears cascade down her cheeks. She cradled him to her chest and promised the small babe that he wouldn't have go through that pain again. She, as his mother, would covet him and protect him.

The memory of him fading away would forever be engrained into Paige's mind. She could hear his shuddering breaths as he fought of air, and she will always remember Leo's painful wail as he faded away.

They didn't even get a body of bury or to mourn over.

She watched beside Phoebe as the small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket blinked up at them from Leo's arms. He was so precious and innocent. His eyes were full of hope and purity that was only found in newborns. They were akin to untouched snow blanketing a vast field - filled with beauty and serenity. It was a polar opposite to the war torn, guarded eyes they saw for months as they fought for a better future. As his face scrunched up and a quiet cry could be heard, Paige could feel her heart lurching. Everything in her body longed to stop the discomfort that the baby was going through and, beside her, she could see Phoebe's body tensing as she wanted to do the same. Wyatt squirmed in her arms, his eyes wide with confusion. Paige smiled as Leo turned to reunite son with mother before she turned her gleeful expression towards her older nephew - happy that once again, the family was whole.

And it was going to stay that way, she vowed.

Phoebe could feel the pain of losing Chris long before Leo told her of his passing. It felt as if Leo's heart was crushed and his soul was gone. It might have only been a few months that they knew he was kin; but, he was family and family was always cherished within the Halliwell clan. That much was evident in Chris's mission - to save his evil brother from the depths of darkness.

She only wished that it didn't require Chris's death.

The infant battled within her. Phoebe could feel the duel souls battling within the small body. Two souls of the same person were floating around in this realm and Phoebe could only imagine what would happen. Would their Chris become a mixture of theirs and the Chris that had to go through the pain of losing his whole family to a tyrannical brother? She cradled Wyatt closer, her eyes closing as she buried her face into the dowey blond hair and vowed that both the child in her arms and the infant in Leo's would never see that harsh future that Chris died to stop.

Wyatt….took a little time. He saw the baby as nothing more than a being that was disrupting his parents' lives, and more importantly, were taking away their time. Everything was about him and no longer about Wyatt. At the tender age of one and half, Wyatt didn't see Chris as a brother; only as an enemy. The first few months within his new role as big brother, Wyatt torment his brother by orbing to places unknown (much to his parents' displeasure) and made sure the small beast didnt' touch any of his things.

Until one day, a demon stood over Chris's crib with a blade in hand ready to slay his brother. Wyatt screamed and threw his force field over himself and his little brother - the infant wailing. Piper and Leo rushed in and quickly vanquished the demons; but when they went to comfort their children, they found a sight that would be replicated throughout the years - the brothers comforting each other.

Wyatt had his small arms around his baby brother, a frown on his youthful face as he tried to quiet his brother's cries. In a shower of orbs, his precious teddy bear - Wuvey - appeared in Wyatt's hand. A few seconds of mental debate played within the toddler's mind before he hestiantly handed the worn stuffed animal over to his brother. The infant latched onto the bear with one grubby hand, the large green eyes blinking in wonder at the large item in front of him. A few seconds later, a large, toothless smile appeared on Chris's chubby face.

And a matching, toothy one appeared on Wyatt's.

Since then, Wyatt watched out of his little brother. Sure, the others did their jobs as parents or realtives, but to Wyatt, being Chris's protector was at the top of his list; especially since Chris managed to find himself in every horrible situation he could be at a single moment. Between being kidnapped, to being wounded, to dating every demon within a 100 mile radius of San Fransisco, Wyatt was there for them all. To heal him, to comfort him, and to hear him rant about fate liked to screw him over.

Wyatt could never pin-point the reason why everyone watched Chris with a careful eye. Every scrap was horrific and every tear was a failure in their families' eyes. And while Wyatt could understand the want to protect a love one, it was practically ingraned into their bloodline, but there was difference between his family's protective nature towards him or his cousins and the protective nature towards Chris. Every question about it was dodged.

Chris took it with a scrowl, not liking the constant worry about him; but also knew that nothing he would say or do would change the way his family acted towards him. He merely took it until he was months away from getting his high school diploma and told his family with a pair of squared shoulders and chin raised high that he wasn't staying in Califonia to continue his education. Needless to say, he was repremanded and told to apply for every college with in the state, to which Chris did; but a few from the Midwest and Northeastern United States and a few from the United Kingdom found their way into his pile.

Eventually, Europe was deemed too far away after a long talk with Wyatt, the older brother worried for Chris but could comprehend why Chris would want to stretch his wings. Soon, with a degree in mind, Chris chose the best school in that field within his pile and accepted their offer. When Chris told them that he was packing up and heading to Wisconsin for a medical degree, the family was shocked and pressed that Chris needed to stay in California for his safety. Chris was firm and would be going to the Midwest with or without his family's blessing.

So, in the morning of August 30th, Chris found himself pushing his suitcases into the back of his mother's SUV to head to the airport. He settled into the backseat, a small smile on his lips as he daydreamed about the aspect of living a life without a pair of eyes watching his every move only to gape in shock as Wyatt walked out of the house with a pair of suitcases of his own in his hands. He stared as Wyatt shoved his luggage beside Chris's before sliding into the backseat.

"What do you think you're doing?" Chris hissed, furious.

Wyatt smirked. "Oh, did you really think you would be going to Wisconsin by yourself?"

"Yes! That was the plan!"

Wyatt chuckled. "You have to admit that was a bit naive of you to think like that."

Crossing his arms, Chris slammed his head into the headrest of his seat, "Damn it, Wyatt."

"It could be worse."

"How?!"

Wyatt glanced at his scrowling little brother from the corner of his eye, "Mom and Dad could move to Wisconsin."

Chris's lips curled inward in disgust. "I'm still not happy about this."

"Duly noted."

"And I'm pissed at you."

"Also noted."

"Glad to know we're on the same page."

"Yep. Also, I get top bunk."

Chris looked at his brother with wide eyes. "We're rooming together?!"


End file.
